Shin Dal-ja; Donghwa Munhak: 204 pp., 12,000 won
Poetry may be among the least popular of literary genres for busy modern people. If you don’t have enough time to find the right poems, this collection might be a good option.
Celebrated poet and novelist Shin Dal-ja has released a new collection consisting of 76 poems written by renowned Korean poets in easy, simple but beautiful poetic language, along with her comments on the works. The book includes 60 poems which were posted in a serial project for a local newspaper and 16 new works Shin wrote for the publication on themes such as love, family and hope. From veteran and traditional poets such as Park Mok-wol, Seo Jeong-ju and Ko Un to young, rising poets such as Jeong Ho-seung, Kim Kyung-joo and Ahn Do-hyun, it encompasses the wide spectrum of the Korean literary genre.
For readers who think poems are difficult to understand, Shin gives easy explanations and poetic insights in her clear-cut language. The book title is a phrase borrowed from Hwang Dong-gyu’s poem “Pencil Drawing” which means the fragile sensitivity of urbanites who are living in a harsh reality.
— CHUNG AH-YOUNG